Dancing in the Rain
by Jaded Kismet
Summary: Wishing and hoping, loving and smiling in the rain. Reunion of Dearka and Mirillia after 5 years. DM forever!


Dear Readers,

This is my first Gundam SEED fanfiction so don't hurt me! Please read and review and enjoy:3

Luna-chan

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**_Dancing in the Rain_**

Gundam SEED Dearka/Miriallia Oneshot

Dearka Elthman knew he was honestly happier on Earth, especially there in ORB, despite being a Coordinator and a former Mobile Suit pilot. He remembered bragging about all the wonderful things the blue planet had to offer, each time resulting in his superior and best friend screaming at him. "What are you babbling on about, Dearka!" Yzak yelled countless time after countless time, to which each lecture was met with a smirk and a shrug, only infuriating the white-haired Commander even more than before, like this morning, the usual routine of returning back to ORB territory from space. Slumping into the closest bench in the ORB Central Park, ignoring the fact that he was soiling his green ZAFT uniform, he breathed in the fresh air, almost at ease.

Almost… It was always "almost" ever since he met her five years ago, and not a single day had gone by that he hadn't thought about her. Closing his eyes, memories rushed back to him in an instant. The Archangel… the Buster… Nicol's death… his capture… his decisions… returning to ZAFT, where he remained even now, when the war was finally diminishing… Fluttering his eyes back open, he thought of names, familiar names of familiar people from five years ago, when war still raged on as fierce as ever.

Athrun Zala, son of the deceased Chairman Patrick Zala and one of ZAFT's prized pilots, had decided to leave the service then, having fallen in love with Cagalli Yula Attha, the princess and Head Representative of the neutral nation of Orb. If memory served him right, the former Justice pilot returned to being bodyguard of the princess, their marriage only months ago, both doing extremely well, expecting their first baby in a few months (to which Cagalli hoped it was girl).

Lacus Clyne, the still ever-popular songstress and former rebellion leader, had taken to helping around in the orphanage for the past five years, and she seemed to have been enjoying herself alongside Kira, ever faithful and cheerful. Kira Yamato… the Coordinator who piloted the Freedom Gundam… Dearka could not help but cringe at the memory of that strong body, but possessed a soul broken by emotional abuse from a girl who was equally bitter then as Kira remembered her now. But he was sincerely relieved that Lacus had broken through to the boy with love and care – they were engaged at long last, to be married spring of next year, Lacus's favorite season.

They both had come a long way…

Sai Argyle returned to ORB as well, according to Cagalli, who had become as close to Dearka as Athrun. The guy was apparently into engineering, studying well and getting full credit on the reconstruction of the space colony Heliopolis. He never really cared much about him. He could barely remember his face, only confronting him when the ORB princess had arranged meetings.

And yet, he'd never gotten the chance of seeing her again – the Natural… no, he told himself – the girl that had changed his life, his beliefs… his heart. Sighing heavily, the ZAFT soldier ran a hand through his considerably longer, wavy, blond hair.

He'd heard rumors she'd become a war photographer in her homeland, never leaving ORB, and on occasional times, she'd call him, their talks lasting for hours on end. But when he asked all the others about her whereabouts, he was met with somber silence. He'd looked everywhere for her whenever he returned for "peace negotiations", searching from the minute he was off-duty to when it was time to return to the PLANTS. "I guess she doesn't want to be found" was what he remembered Cagalli saying.

Five years since their fated meeting and he still hadn't found her, only holding onto their fleeting memories together, stubbornly denying the thought of letting go. How he wanted to see her, oh how he wanted to see her… to tell her how much he'd fallen hopelessly in love with her. Phone calls that he waited each passing second for that never came until he'd almost lost hope – they weren't enough. They could never be enough to fill the need to see her face to face.

Looking up to the foggy grey sky, he was disappointed to see his inner turmoil's reflected in the clouds. It's going to rain, he thought offhandedly. As if on cue, a droplet splashed onto his already cold face, followed by another and another. Mumbling a curse, he faltered slightly, grabbing the nearby blue umbrella Athrun had given him early that day. Opening the device and raising it above his head, he made a mental note to thank his friend later, grateful for the shelter from the light shower.

Rain… it haunted him to no end. It constantly reminded him of tears, all the fallen tears that had been shed because of this ignorant war… all the slaughtered men and women, children and babies alike… all the sorrow and hate left behind from the ones taken from the survivors… like Nicol… like her… Thoughts drowning the pitter-patter of the sprinkle, he frowned uncharacteristically, gripping the umbrella handle tightly. Yes… exactly like the only woman he'd truly ever loved.

Shaking his head to push wishful thinking out of his mind, he wandered aimlessly among the park, the thirsty trees and flowers drinking to their fill, ignoring the lone man strolling among them. It wasn't until he heard mirthful laughter that he stopped in tracks. Furrowing a brow in curiosity, the Coordinator let his feet take him towards the voices, unaware that there were others out in the chilly weather like him.

Nearing the center of the park, he was mildly surprised to see a woman playing with three children, two boys and the youngest being a girl, amidst the drizzle. Watching them splash one another without a care, Dearka couldn't help but grin in approval at their rare delight - something he'd thought had ebbed away with the tiring war. Simply observing the four, acting as if peace had only existed from the beginning, a renewed emotion swelled inside of him. Examining the woman closer, a strange sensation flooded his body, and yet he couldn't place his finger on it… She was just so familiar…

The freezing touch of water on his chest instantly broke his chain of thoughts, unwelcomingly sending him crashing back to reality as he almost lost his hold on the umbrella. Now agitated, he looked down at his stained uniform, clearly bothered by the visible wetness.

"Oh! I'm sorry, mister! I didn't mean to splash you…" an innocent voice confessed hurriedly in a panic. Glancing up from his clothing, the ZAFT pilot's annoyance was quickly washed away as a girl, no older than six or seven, stood feet in front of him, soaking wet, hands wrung together apologetically and eyes begging for forgiveness. Laughter erupted in the distance, and he guessed the others were oblivious the child's absence. "I was only trying to get Shirou back…" she explained in a whisper. Smiling at the girl's sincere admission of guilt, he crouched down, meeting her gaze with his own.

"Hey, it's no problem. This uniform was ugly anyways," he assured her, ruffling her sopping black hair, earning him a beam as he once again towered over her doused figure. "But… aren't you afraid of me? I mean, I'm from ZAFT…" He remembered Lacus telling him long ago how difficult it had become to teach the young that there was no difference between Naturals and Coordinators – the anger and hate had simply run too deep with the times of war.

"Onee-chan says that I shouldn't judge people unless I really know them," she merely replied, as if repeating from memory, "even if they're Coordinators." Chuckling lightly, he was noticeably impressed, only widening the girl's smile.

"Sounds like you have a pretty sweet sister…"

"KATA! Kata, where are you!" The girl, whose name was apparently Kata, quickly swung around at the frantic calls, enthusiastically waving at the woman, whom he also suspected was her sister. But as she approached, coming into view through the downpour, waves of shock pounded down upon his already freezing body, the umbrella threatening to fall forgotten on the cobblestone path below. His voice seemed to have flown away in the weather as the brunette stopped only feet in front of the girl and him, equally as surprised as he was.

And for that split second, the world's existence seemed to fade away into the falling rain as amethyst met pools of emerald, each searching one another for the first time in five years, her name rolling off his tongue in a low whisper, afraid she was only part of realistic dream, only a figment of an unimaginable longing.

"Miriallia…"

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"Onee-chan, look at me!" Kata excitedly shouted as one of the boys whirled her around, her screams of joy mixed with the others' laughter. Clapping and letting them know they had her attention, their caretaker giggled softly beside the Coordinator, before the three children become reabsorbed in their fun.

Seeing Miriallia drenched by the light rain, the blond pilot immediately offered his umbrella only seconds after recovering from his astonishment, to which she had to decline, a worried frown lingering across his expression. Now only silence with the exception of the distant cheers of glee embodied the two, each too afraid to directly face the other.

"Are they yours? I mean…" Dearka finally managed, stutters breaking the tense stillness, a dreading panic overcoming him as he too viewed the children at play. The image of the four together, the perfect family, revisited his memory, taunting him of what he let slip away from his fingers. Another moment of hush fell over them.

"No…" she whispered mysteriously, as if she was thinking out loud, her words not truly meant to be heard. "They're from Lacus's orphanage here in ORB. I just take care of them…" Pausing for a moment, the photographer frowned uncharacteristically. "They lost their parents to the war a year ago… Only kids, already losing everything…"

"To ZAFT?" he couldn't help but ask, narrowly able to mask the thick relief in his voice.

"I shouldn't matter which side it was! The fact that there is war, that it took lives, no matter who started it, is reason enough to put it end to it…" Transfixed at the woman beside him, he grinned approvingly, clearly impressed. Coincidentally catching his gaze, she speedily refocused sight on her hands, a livid blush on her cheeks.

She hadn't changed a bit, he thought, lilac pools lingering on Miriallia. She was still as innocent and beautiful as he remembered her for the last five years… still putting those in need before herself, even if it meant shattering her dreams, hopes, and heart in the process… And even though he'd reach out his hand to share the sadness and pain, she'd refuse to place the burden on another's shoulder. It broke his heart to see how kind she was…

"So, you went back to ZAFT?" she began awkwardly, quickly glancing at his almost dry uniform. Unable to decipher the emotion in her tone, he shifted the umbrella in his clutch.

"That wasn't the right choice?" his question retorted her own, afraid perhaps that she had become disappointed with his decision, that she had lost all respect and if any, love, for him. Sensing his discomfort with her simple inquiry, she raised her hands up in protest, shaking her head furiously at his misunderstanding.

"No, no!" she replied hastily, easing his thoughts somewhat. After a pause, he intently watched her fingers curl into tight fists, clutching the hem of her tangerine and white sundress nervously, her voice diminishing to a whisper. "It's just that… I…" An immediate sneeze cut her confession short.

"Bless you," Dearka breathed instinctively, reaching for a handkerchief in his pocket but stopped when she declared she was fine. He was mildly frustrated that she hadn't finished her sentiment, unable to deny that his curiosity had been ensnared. "Are you sure you don't need the umbrella?"

"I'm okay, really," she smiled at his expression of unique concern, her assurance powerless to fully convince him otherwise. "I like the rain, don't you?" Raking the free hand through his hair, he merely shrugged, avoiding the question entirely, earning a pout from the brunette as she stood. "What? Is the great Dearka afraid of a little water?"

"No! It's not –"he retorted haughtily in defense before being rudely interrupted by a splash of icy rain water colliding with him. Sweet laughter rang through the chilled air as he wiped his wet face with the free hand, a mischievous grin emerging onto his jokingly furious expression, the woman before him tentatively stepping backwards with a guilty beam.

Lunging with animalistic instincts for dramatic effect, a throaty chuckle escaped his mouth as he teasingly allowed his so-called prey to elude lazy capture attempts. Resting for a moment from wholehearted laughter, remaining breath escaped his lungs as he watched the love of his life twirl in the endless fall of rain, a goddess dancing in her element, in the tears that she once shed because of the pain she had locked away behind a smile that could never fully rejuvenate the twinkle in her eyes.

Beautiful was the only word he could possibly think of, but it still didn't do her unmatched splendor any justice. Freezing drops thoroughly soaked her dress, the material and coffee strands of adorably short hair clinging to her figure and pale face, but never once was her flawless skin marred in any way. Spinning freely from the world surrounding her, unapparent water droplets scattered in every direction, wind chimes disguised as her sincere giggles descending into the air, contagious as she was dazzling. His stare was caught red-handed as she waved enthusiastically his way, celadon eyes – her most stunning feature – shone brightly, despite the foggy mist blanketing the area.

And he realized that he had missed her much more than he had convinced himself.

Rushing forward, thanking his military training of honed speed, he inwardly grinned at her unmistakable shock, sharply turning in his direction, again surprising her by reappearing inches behind her. Enveloping the woman's frozen figure, strong arms wrapped around her waist as two bodies found warmth against one another, he lowered his mouth dangerously close her ear, swearing he could feel the intensity of her flustered face.

"You were saying?" he teased in a whisper as if testing her confidence now that he had the obvious advantage. Of course, he knew her better than that- the Miriallia he knew would never concede to defeat so easily.

"I guess I was wrong," she started, startling the Coordinator, confused at how his assumption was wrong," because you did have the courage to come out into the rain." Oblivious to the brunette's amused smile, Dearka lifted his gaze to the bench where he'd sat only minutes before, noticing Athrun's umbrella laying forgotten on the ground. And as usual, she was right, opening his eyes to something he couldn't without her guidance.

"I wanted to tell you something…" she whispered, her back against his chest, his hold on her figure never loosening, but perhaps tightening as she spoke ever so inaudibly. It was the same tone she used when she had sent him off to their last battle together – shy, uneasy, and pleading. Instantly, he remembered earlier, that her sneeze had disrupted a certain confession of hers. "I… I've missed you…"

"Miriallia?" He could barely recognize his own shaky voice as his own, prodding the brunette to repeat her declaration, but she did not. They both knew he had heard each word clearly.

"See, it's not so bad, is it?" her sing-song voice avoided the thought touchily as she shifted positions so that they turned to one another. Lifting both their faces towards the grey sky, letting the raindrops slid down the comfort of their already wet skin, he'd never felt so refreshed before – not since she left.

Glancing to the woman in his arms, whose stare was still transfixed towards the above, he found himself subconsciously smirking; at what, he didn't care anymore. She had missed him and that was all that mattered. Reaching a hand to cup her cheek, he found it surprisingly warm, but not as warm as the effect her stunning eyes the color of the most luscious green had on his heart.

Through the heavy silence, he was sure that she could hear his screaming confession of love, his long awaited proclamation of romance. And just staring into her emerald pools, he knew at that moment, that she loved him too. Leaning forward, his lips captured hers in a sweet, gentle kiss, and years of pain, years of hoping, years of loving seemed worth it all.

No, he thought as their lips met again in the crystal rain, the rain wasn't so bad after all.

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**A/N:** How is that? I love this couple! Please review!


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